Desktop backgrounds, also know as wallpapers, are the background images on your desktop screen. They are a vital way to reflect your personality and add a certain mood to your computer. Changing your desktop background is an essential step to customizing your computer. If you want to change the background of your desktop in Windows, click the name of your version of Windows, and follow the steps.

Steps

Method1

Windows XP

Via the Control Panel

1

Open the Start Menu. Click Start.

2

Open the Control Panel. Click Control Panel in the Start menu.

3

Click Appearance and Themes in Control Panel.

If you're viewing Control Panel in Classic View, click Display, which will open Display Properties.

4

Click Display in Control Panel, which will open Display Properties.

If you're viewing Control Panel in Classic View, skip this step.

5

Click the tab called Desktop in Display Properties.

6

Select your desktop background from the tab.

How to set an image that came with Windows as your desktop background.

Underneath Background in the tab, click the picture you want as your wallpaper.

How to set an image on your computer as your desktop background.

Click Browse... button, which opens the Browse window.

Navigate to the image that you want to use as your desktop background in the Browse window.

Select it, and click Open.

7

Set your desktop background display options. Under Position, select how you would like your wallpaper to be shown.

Center centers the image without adjusting its size to fit your screen.

Stretch stretches images that are too small to fit your screen and shrinks images that are too big to fit your screen to conform it to your screen size and shape.

Tile tiles the picture. If the picture is smaller than your screen, choosing this option will stack the picture like tiles as your wallpaper in their original size.

8

Set the selected image as your desktop background. Click OK on the Display Properties window.

Via the Desktop

1

Right-click an empty area on your desktop which opens the context menu.

2

Click Properties in the context menu which opens Display Properties.

3

Click the tab called Desktop in Display Properties.

4

Select your desktop background from the tab.

How to set an image that came with Windows as your desktop background.

Underneath Background in the tab, click the picture you want as your wallpaper.

How to set an image on your computer as your desktop background.

Click Browse... button, which opens the Browse window.

Navigate to the image that you want to use as your desktop background in the Browse window.

Select it, and click Open.

5

Set your desktop background display options. Under Position, select how you would like your wallpaper to be shown.

Center centers the image without adjusting its size to fit your screen.

Stretch stretches images that are too small to fit your screen and shrinks images that are too big to fit your screen to conform it to your screen size and shape.

Tile tiles the picture. If the picture is smaller than your screen, choosing this option will stack the picture like tiles as your wallpaper in their original size.

6

Set the selected image as your desktop background. Click OK on the Display Properties window.

Directly From an Image

1

Right click the desired image, which opens the context menu.

2

Click Open With in the context menu which expands another context menu.

3

Click Windows Picture and Fax Viewer in the context menu.

If Windows Picture and Fax Viewer doesn't appear in the context menu, click Choose Program and select Windows Picture and Fax Viewer in the window that appears.

4

In Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, right click the displayed image and select Set as Desktop Background.

Method2

Windows Vista

Via Control Panel

1

Open the Start menu. Click the Start button.

2

Open Control Panel. In the Start menu, click Control Panel.

3

Click Appearance and Personalization in Control Panel.

4

Click Personalization in Control Panel.

5

Click Desktop Background in Control Panel.

6

Select the picture you want to set as your background from Control Panel by clicking it.

Expand the combo box next to Location to choose a different location to search for pictures from.

If you want to choose a custom image as your desktop background, click Browse... to open the Browse window, select the image, and click Open on the window.

7

Set your desktop background display options. Under How should the picture or video be positioned?, select how you would like your wallpaper to be shown.

The first option stretches images that are too small to fit your screen and shrinks images that are too big to fit your screen to conform it to your screen size and shape.

The second option will stack the picture like tiles as your wallpaper.

The third option centers the image without adjusting its size to fit your screen.

8

Confirm that you want these settings to be set for your desktop background. Click OK on Control Panel.

Via Desktop

1

Right click the desktop which opens the context menu.

2

Click Personalize in the context menu to open the Control Panel.

3

Click Desktop Background in Control Panel.

4

Select the picture you want to set as your background from Control Panel by clicking it.

Expand the combo box next to Location to choose a different location to search for pictures from.

If you want to choose a custom image as your desktop background, click Browse... to open the Browse window, select the image, and click Open on the window.

5

Set your desktop background display options. Under How should the picture be positioned?, select how you would like your wallpaper to be shown.

The first option stretches images that are too small to fit your screen and shrinks images that are too big to fit your screen to conform it to your screen size and shape.

The second option will stack the picture like tiles as your wallpaper.

The third option centers the image without adjusting its size to fit your screen.

6

Confirm that you want these settings to be set for your desktop background. Click OK on Control Panel.

Directly From an Image

1

Navigate to the image that you want to set as your desktop background.

2

Right click the file which opens the context menu.

3

Click Set as Desktop Background.

Method3

Windows 7/8/8.1

Via Control Panel

1

Open the Start menu or Charms bar.

In Windows 7, click the Start button in the lower left corner of your screen to open the Start menu.

In Windows 8/8.1, press the ⊞ Win+C keys simultaneously to open the Charms bar.

2

Open the Control Panel.

In Windows 7, click Control Panel in the Start menu.

In Windows 8/8.1, click Settings in the Charms bar, then Control Panel.

3

Click Appearance and Personalization in Control Panel.

4

Click Change desktop background in Control Panel under Personalization.

5

Select the picture you want to set as your background from Control Panel by clicking it.

Open the menu next to Picture Location to choose a different location to search for pictures from.

If you want to choose a custom image as your desktop background and it doesn't show up in any of the default locations, click Browse to open the Browse For Folder window, select the folder the image is in, click OK, then select the image from Control Panel.

6

Set your desktop background options.

Under Picture position, select how you would like your wallpaper to be shown.

Center centers the image without adjusting its size to fit your screen.

Stretch stretches or contracts images that are too small to fit your screen and shrinks images that are too big to fit your screen to conform it to your screen size and shape.

Tile tiles the picture. If the picture is smaller than your screen, choosing this option will stack the picture like tiles as your wallpaper.

Use the check boxes on the pictures in the Control Panel window to select multiple ones.

Choose the interval at which the pictures change. Under Change picture every, select how fast you want the slideshow to progress.

Check the Shuffle box to show the pictures in random order.

7

Confirm that you want these settings to be set for your desktop background. Click Save Changes on Control Panel.

8

Finished.

Via Desktop

1

Right-click the Desktop to open the context menu.

2

Click Personalize (at the very bottom), which opens the personalization section of the Control Panel.

3

Click Desktop Background in Control Panel.

4

Select the picture you want to set as your background from Control Panel by clicking it.

Open the menu next to Picture Location to choose a different location to search for pictures from.

If you want to choose a custom image as your desktop background, and it doesn't show up in any of the default locations, click Browse to open the Browse For Folder window, select the folder the image is in, click OK and then select the image from Control Panel.

5

Set your desktop background options.

Under Picture position, select how you would like your wallpaper to be shown.

Center centers the image without adjusting its size to fit your screen.

Stretch stretches or contracts images that are too small or big to fit your screen and shrinks images that are too big to fit your screen to conform it to your screen size and shape.

Tile tiles the picture. If the picture is smaller than your screen, choosing this option will stack the picture like tiles as your wallpaper.

Community Q&A

If they are in your "My Pictures" folder, you should be able to right click the photo and select "set as background." If not, right click on your desktop and select "personalize" -- you will see the desktop and background settings window. Here you can change your backgrounds, sounds, screen savers and colors.

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"This page has pictures of the actual screens required to change your background image. The forest was getting in the way of my trees on my mental list of what I need to accomplish. After years with a beautiful forest scene, I needed to change the background to an orderly place. I created an image of boxed colors and thanks to wikiHow, now I know every way to change a background on any computer. Now I can do what I need to do to improve my user experience. And that's what its all about."..." more- Anya Cara